Vancouver International Auto Show enters 96th year
It’s hard to believe, but 2016 marks the 96th edition of the Vancouver International Auto Show (VIAS). Running right through the weekend at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the show is bigger than ever and manufacturers like Audi and MINI debuted some vehicles being seen for the first time in the city.
Audi
The German automaker welcomes visitors to their booth this year with a collection of Crayola-coloured vehicles.
The 2017 A4 allroad quattro takes the admirable qualities of the A4 and adds 34 millimetres more ground clearance and a unique rugged look; the RS 7 performance bumps the standard model’s horsepower up to 605; and capping off the trio is Audi’s most powerful production sports car ever: the 2017 R8 V10 plus, which shares 50 per cent of parts with the R8 LMS racecar, generating 610 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque.
Volkswagen
VW has released yet another variant of the beloved bug — this time, it’s the 2016 Beetle Denim. Honouring a “jeans” special edition from the 1970s, the convertible‘s roof, seat coverings, door inserts and armrest are finished in a material resembling a cool pair of blue jeans.
The palette carries over to the Blue Brushed dashboard and 17-inch retro-styled alloy wheels with blue graphite painted accents. As for exterior paint colours, consumers have a choice between Pure White and the signature Stonewashed Blue Metallic.
MINI
BMW Group brought the sporty Cooper S trim of their new third-generation MINI Clubmanto show audiences at VIAS. The split-rear-door estate car is the biggest in the brand’s lineup with a cargo capacity of 360 litres, or 1,250 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
To move the big MINI, the Cooper S is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine that produces 189 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. A total of three transmissions are available: a standard six-speed manual, six-speed Steptronic automatic, and an eight-speed Steptronic sports transmission featuring steering wheel shift paddles and launch control.
